Combination day and sleeping railroad coach



Feb. 6, 1934. A, E, -r

COMBINATION DAY AND SLEEPING RAILROAD COACH Filed Oct. 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 6, 1934. A, HUTT COMBINATION DAY AND SLEEPING RAILROAD COACH Filed Oct. 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented F eb. 6, 1934 sra rss PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION DAY AND SLEEPING 3 Claims.

My invention is an improvement on my U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,711,317 dated April 30, 1929, and relates to a novel construction of railroad coach in which the present inconveniences and discomforts of the conventional so-called Pullman coach are eliminated.

My invention consists of a novel construction of railroad coach having a central longitudinal aisle or passageway and individual compartments on each side of said aisle for each passenger, such compartments being so constructed and disposed that when used as sleeping quarters, there is provided, besides the berth, a space where the passenger can dress and undress in a standing position, and there is provided an individual wash bowl and toilet for his use, thus doing away with the necessity of providing common wash rooms at each end of the coach.

My invention further consists of the same novel arrangement of compartments so constructed and located that half of their number are located in a position above the other half of said compartments in such manner that standing portions of upper compartments are above the sleeping portions of the lower compartments, and the standing portions of the lower compartments are below the sleeping portions of the upper compartments, it being possible by this method to provide head clearance for the average passenger in the standing portions of both the upper and lower compartments.

My invention further consists of a novel means of providing a vestibule between any two adjacent upper compartments and steps to reach such vestibule from the aisle.

' My invention further consists of a novel collapsible stairway installed in the upper compartments for the purpose of reaching the upper berths from the upper standing portions.

My invention further consists of a novel means of providing a depression in the floor under one of the seats in each lower compartment for the installation of a toilet in such compartments.

My invention further consists of a novel means of soarranging the disposition of the upper and lower compartments that any two upper com-- partments or any two lower compartments that are adjacent to one another may be interconnected if desired.

With all these objects in View. my invention consists of the novel construction herein after described and finally claimed.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me,

although it is to be understood that the various instrmnentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to this precise ar rangement and organization of the instrumental- 5 ities as herein shown and described.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof and in which:-

Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the passenger accommodating part of a railroad coach embodying my invention, the section being taken through the centre line or" aisle.

Fig. 2 represents a continuation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a plan View of two upper compartments taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents a plan View of two lower compartments taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 represents a collapsible stairway used in the standing portions of the upper compartments to reach the upper berths. The full lines show the open position and the dotted lines the closed or out of the way position.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Reference numeral 1 designates my novel construction of combination day and sleeping railroad coach, which structure comprises the bottom or floor 2 of the car, the top 3, the outside wall 4, the inside partition 5 and the end bulkheads 6 and 7. The end vestibules are not shown as they do not form part of this invention.

8 designates the central longitudinal aisle. 9 designates the vestibules located between adjacent upper compartments which are reached by the steps 10. 11 designates depressions in the floor of the lower compartments in which are located the toilets 12. 13 designates collapsible stairways located in the standing portions of the upper compartments for the purpose of reaching the berths in said upper compartments. (For construction of stairway see Fig. 5.) 14 designates collapsible type Wash bowls located in the lower compartments which can be folded out of the way in the recesses 15. 16 designates similar wash bowls in the upper compartments which can be folded out of the way in the recesses 17. 18 designates toilets located in the upper compartments. 19 designates seats in the lower compartments and 20 designates back rests, and it will be seen that when the lower compartments are made up for'day use the toilets are completely hidden by said seats and back 1. 9

rests and that when made up for night use such toilets are available for use. 21 designates head rests, one of which in each lower compartment is fixed to the compartment bulkhead and the other hinged to the back rest and folded out of the way when the berth is made up for sleeping.

Referring now specifically to Figs. 1 and 2, there are shown seven upper and seven lower compartments in different stages of make up, the lower compartments in Fig. 1 being made up for day use and those in Fig. 2 being made up for night use. The lower compartment to the left of Fig. 1 shows doors and panels .in position to make the compartment private, the other three lower compartments of Fig. 1 being open to the aisle. The lower compartment to the left of Fig. 2 has doors and panels in place as would be the case when the compartment is used for sleeping and the other two lower compartments in Fig. 2 have the doors and panels still in storage position (see Fig. 4) to better show the interior arrangement.

The two upper compartments to the left of Fig. 1 show the intervening vestibule 9 as it would appear when the two compartments are used singly (see also Fig. 3) and the two upper compartments to the right of Fig. 1 show the intervening vestibule 9 as it would appear when the two compartments are interconnected (see also doors in dotted lines Fig. 3).

Referring now to Fig. 3, 22 designates fixed partitions between the vestibules 9 and the standing portions 23 of the upper compartments to which partitions are hinged the doors 24 and 25, the doors 24 being disposed to open into the standing portions 23 and the doors 25 into the vestibules 9. When it is desired to interconnect the two upper compartments the doors 24 are swung entirely back against the partition 22 and the doors 25 are swung together as shown by the dotted lines (see also two upper compartments to the right of Fig. 1). The compartment to the right of Fig. 3 shows the collapsible stairway in its open position and that to the left in its closed or out of the way position.

Referring now to Fig. 4, 26 designates a sliding door disposed to slide in the groove 2'7 which is located between the two wash bowl cavities 15. 28 designates doors to the lower compartments that are hinged to the partition 5 and so disposed that they close the passage 29 when the lower compartments are made up for day use. 30 designates a removable door hinged to a removable panel 31. 32 and 33 designate two removable panels hinged together. The dotted lines show the position of these various doors and panels in alignment with the the partition 5 when the compartments are made up for night use. The doors 30 are used for entering or leaving the lower compartments when made up for private day use (see lower compartment to left of Fig. 1) and the doors 28 are used when the compartments are made up for night use (see lower compartment to left of Fig. 2). It will thus be seen that I provide serviceable closures for the lower compartments and adequate room for their storage when not in use. It will also be apparent that due to the sliding doors 26 I am able to interconnect any two adjacent lower compartments if desired.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a passenger railroad coach, a central longitudinal aisle, upper and lower passenger compartments on each side of said aisle, the upper compartments being positioned above the lower compartments, partitions between said upper and lower compartments, said partitions being in different planes, said upper and lower compartments having a standing section in which the height is greater than that of the average standing passenger and a reclining section in which the height is less than that of the average standing passenger, seats provided in said lower compartments for the accommodation of both the upper and lower compartment passengers, toilets in said upper compartments, collapsible wash bowls in said upper compartments, depressions in the floors of the lower compartments under one of the seats, toilets located in said depressions, collapsible wash bowls in said lower compartments and removable doors and panels to close said lower compartments from the centre aisle.

2. In a passenger railroad coach of the type described, adjacent lower compartments so disposed that when made up for night use the resulting standing portions of such compartments are adjacent to one another, a short passage between said standing portions, doors located midway between the ends of said passage and at each end thereof and extra removable closures located between said middle door and said end doors, which closures together with said end doors are used to completely close said lower compartments from the central longitudinal aisle.

3. In a passenger railroad coach of the type described, adjacent upper compartments, a vestibule between the standing portions of said compartments, steps to reach said vestibule, doors from said vestibule to said standing portions, said doors being in two parts, one part being disposed to swing into said vestibule in such manner that when two such doors are swung together they close the vestibule from the central longitudinal aisle and a collapsible stairway in the standing portions of each of said upper compartments to enable the passengers to reach I 

